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Monday, March 16 2015

In India, the ornate flying snake, Chrysopelea ornata, is also called the "ornamental flying snake" because of its unique and beautiful colour combination.

There are five species of flying snakes found around the world. All of them are found in Asian countries and belong to the chrysopelea family. India is home to two of those species: the ornate flying snake and the paradise flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisii).

While the paradise flying snake is found in the eastern parts of India, the ornate flying snake is found in some parts of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, as well as some central and north eastern parts of India.

Many people think that this snake flies like a bird, but the truth is this snake does not fly, it glides from higher heights to lower heights. It is not able to fly from lower heights to higher.

I am seriously in love with the colour of this snake. Its body is greenish-yellow with black bands and red spots between the bands. The head is black with yellow bands on top. The underside is pale green. The size of the snake varies from 150-175 cms, and it is oviparous by nature.

I was the luckiest guy on the planet the day I found this snake while herping in the jungles of Karnataka with my friend Riyaz Khoja, a wildlife photographer and snake rescuer.

We were walking in the jungle around 8 AM and saw thin branches move like something had fallen on them. We ran to the tree and were surprised to see a good-sized ornate flying snake. I was so excited, I shouted like I had just won the lottery, and my voice echoed through the jungle.

We lifted the snake from the branches and kept him in a relaxed position on the tree. After Riyaz clicked these beautiful photographs, we left the snake where we found it.

The memory of finding this snake brings a smile to my face every time I think about it. There are not words enough to express how beautiful they are.